| Show EVOLUTION OF THE LAW 6LERK Ho is Green at tho Start Hut Ho 1e conic Frc7i and Knowing It is amusing to watch the evolution of the law clerk Tho young fellows who begin their course in 3 lawyers oflieea compulsory service for all who intend to become members of the bar are usually green often painfully MX The beginner i as i general thing around a-round faced boy in his teens who har been growing so Big and awkward within with-in the pass year or twe that he does not know what to do with his hands and feet and he feels the importance of his now position too keenly to indulge j in any undue levity When he is seut by his employer t the supremecourt chambers cham-bers to adjourn a motion he listens to the talk of the great counselors with open mouthed awe and scarcely dares to raise his voice to explain his mission when his case is called by the judge He stops at the doors of all the court rooms I he passes and often enters with some idea that he may be able toadd to his stock of knowledge and when he finally leaves the big white building he is oppressed with the greatness that will fall upon his shoulders when he too becomes an offi cer of the court amicus curia A year or two later the law clerks face is less round and lie has his ha forgotten respect re-spect for the majesty of the law He smokes cigarettes even in the corridors of the superior court where a notice warns him that it is prohibited He knows a hundred other clerks intimately and jokes and romps with any of them ho finds while he waits until his case is reached frequently requiring the court officers to order silence again and again The veteran clerk of the supreme court chambers who knows everybody James HcNierny a brother of the Roman Catholic Cath-olic bishop of Albany he calls Mac or even Jim as he flippantly asks for information in-formation He discusses the methods of Joe Choate Bob Ingersoll Abe Hummel and other celebrities and co eludes that none of them knows much law or amounts to great shake in the conduct of a trial He has l become a rounder and his self importance is admirable ad-mirable to observe His idea of his own legal ability does not begin to diminish until the time comes near for him to be examined for admission to the bar Then he discovers that he has had so little time to devoto to his hooks that his knowledge on some points is a little shaky Tho examinations examina-tions in this judicial department have become much more difficult during Ihe past few years and applicants aro very apt to flunk At about this period he begins to think that lie might be rejected here but that he surely knows enough to become a full fledged lawyer in the second department I he concludes that it would be wise to avoid the New York examiners he hires a room in Brooklyn so that ho can conscientiously swear to hs residence in the second department and waits until a term of court is held at Pekskill when he goes up for examination ty examina-tion I he passes he returns to this city in high feather and his name is in tho course of a year added to the already formidable list in the Lawyers rep tory Ho is a member of the barhe knows that he knows it all ho feels his oats and he is moro objectionable than ever unless he has been lucky enough to be connected with some ono who has not tv tolerated any nonsense from himNew YOlk Herald |
